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Current research work

eMEN

The Mental Health Foundation is the UK partner of eMEN, a collaborative e-mental health research project funded by the Interreg North West Europe Innovation Programme with a value of €5.36 million. eMEN aims to realise the potential of digital technology for mental health through examining barriers, development, quality and availability of e-mental health across six countries within the European Union (Netherlands [lead partner], the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, and Belgium). Partners combine technological, clinical, research and policy expertise to engage innovators, decision makers and people who use e-interventions: both clinicians and people affected by mental health issues. As part of the UK product development work package, our research team, together with the clinical research network in Manchester, will conduct a randomised controlled trial of Moodbuster, an online CBT-based, guided self-help programme. This study aims to assess the (cost) effectiveness of Moodbuster for people with sub-threshold symptoms of depression in a primary care population.

Empowering People with Psychosocial Disabilities’ Participation in Physical Exercise

The Mental Health Foundation, along with several partners, including Queen’s University Belfast and three Recovery Colleges has received funding from DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living & Learning) to conduct a one-year pilot study to address the high levels of physical ill-health and preventable deaths of people with serious mental health problems in Northern Ireland. The study involves co-producing and delivering a physical exercise programme to people with a range of serious mental health problems across the three recovery colleges. Individuals with lived experience will be trained to become peer-researchers and contribute to the programme design and research methodology.

Contributing to the research discourse

We run the annual Janice Sinson Award, which highlights innovative thinking in the next generation of mental health researchers.

We have funded several PhDs and submitted various peer-reviewed research articles.

Public information

We update our popular how-to guides and A-Z of mental health pages regularly to ensure they are up to date with the latest evidence. We are currently undertaking research with academic experts in mental health and participants with lived experience to make sure our list of top recommendations for ways in which people can look after their mental health is evidence-based.

Research blog posts

The research team write blog posts about issues pertinent to mental health research or research that we are currently undertaking to develop our evidence base in mental health research. These are available to read here.

Children, young people and families

Young Mums Together

We recently completed an evaluation of our project, Young Mums Together, which addressed the wellbeing needs of young mothers aged 16 to 25 across four North London boroughs. The project was centred around two core components: weekly drop-in sessions and a peer support approach. The full evaluation report can be read here.

Creating Connections Run in partnership with the charity Gingerbread, Creating Connections was a Big Lottery-funded project, which aimed to support single parents in South Wales (Cardiff and Newport) to improve mental wellbeing through self-management training and peer-support groups. Please read here for more information about the project.

Later life

Standing Together

Expanding on the success of our pilot project Peer Support Groups for People with Dementia, the Standing Together project extended groups to tenants living in Housing & Care 21 extra-care housing schemes who struggle with loneliness and social isolation. The project organised the roll out of 19 peer support groups over three years and reached over 300 residents. Our evaluation of the project is available to read here.